Symptoms of Pancreatitis

Symptoms of pancreatitis, including pain involving the pancreas, are often noticeable right away, but there are other symptoms that you will need to monitor.

Do you have symptoms of pancreatitis, or are you just worried that you might have them? It's important to check for the symptoms of pancreatitis to see if you need treatment. 

There are two types of pancreatitis: chronic and acute. The acute condition occurs rapidly, and the symptoms often seem more severe (or at least are more noticeable). The chronic condition tends to last over time. While the symptoms may not seem as severe, this condition may be a sign of a bigger problem.

Acute Pancreatitis
Pain is the most common symptom of acute pancreatitis. Nearly all sufferers of the condition will experience pain, usually in the upper abdominal region (often the upper-left area). This sort of pain may radiate to the back or to the chest. 

Pain associated with acute pancreatitis will often worsen or begin after eating, and it may worsen when you lie flat on your back. Unfortunately, this pain may last for several days.

Other symptoms of acute pancreatitis include fever or chills; a tender, swollen abdomen; rapid heartbeat (this may come with the fever or could be indicative of internal bleeding); nausea and vomiting (which unfortunately do not relieve the other symptoms).

You may also have internal bleeding or an infection if you experience the following symptoms: fatigue; headache; mental confusion and/or difficulty concentrating; low blood pressure; dehydration; light-headedness; or unusual irritability.

Chronic Pancreatitis
Symptoms of chronic pancreatitis are often the kind of symptoms that are most noticeable by a doctor. These include:

• Inability to produce insulin (i.e. diabetes).
• Anemia/low blood count. This is symptomatic of chronic pancreatitis, which is one reason it's important to eat foods high in iron, such as spinach and kale, if you suffer from the condition or think you might.
• Liver problems may be indicative of a chronic condition such as pancreatitis. If your skin turns yellow and jaundiced, then you should see a doctor, regardless of what condition you think your pancreas may be in.
• Inability to digest food is one of the symptoms of pancreatitis in its chronic state. If you are eating an otherwise healthy diet, yet you are showing the effects of malnutrition, you may want to ask your doctor to check you out for other chronic pancreatitis symptoms as well.

Having pancreatitis in either its chronic or acute forms isn't the end of the world. But it's also no fun (to say the least) if it goes untreated. That's why it's important that you know the symptoms of pancreatitis, so that you identify and treat the disease as soon as possible.